Lookout launches Ad Network Detector, a new tool to manage privacy

The folks over at Lookout Labs have released a new Android app today, and it's one that I think a whole lot of folks are going to love. Dubbed Ad Network Detector, it's an app that detects which advertisement networks are running in the other apps you've downloaded and installed, tells you what apps are using them, and lets you know a bit about what type of information they can be tracking about you.

Lets get to the meat of the issue -- ads are not bad or evil. I've been known to wear a tinfoil hat on occasion, but even I recognize that advertisements are a great way for developers to offer apps for free, and make them accessible to everyone -- not just those with a credit card, who are willing to pay (or able to pay in their country) for them from the Market. Developers deserve to make money, I get it. But we also deserve to know what info these ad networks are collecting. Let's be honest, most folks don't bother to read the permissions screen when they install an app. None of these ad networks are going to do anything illegal or inherently evil, so there's no harm in knowing more about them, right? Here's an easy way to know all of that.

Just install the app, run it and let it scan the applications you've installed on your phone. You get a handy list of things ad networks can do (including the horrible trick of putting ads in your notification bar), and how many of each you might have installed. A quick tap opens the tree, and you see the names of the culprits ad networks that are using each type of ad. Another tap and you get more information about how it all works and the apps that are using this type of placement or collection. From there, you can decide what to do. I love it when power is put back in the hands of the user, and knowing is the most important part. This is one I'll recommend to everyone with an Android phone.

We've got the download link, and a few screen caps to see how it all goes down, after the break.

Box for Android updated, new UI and collaboration features along with 50GB free for everyone

Box have been on somewhat of a roll of late. They've been offering out free storage to LG and Sony Ericsson owners by the bucket. Today they updated their Android application bringing with it some new collaboration features, and for a limited time only free 50GB worth of storage for everyone who downloads the app and logs in before March 23. I didn't get an additional 50GB, so we'll say that it probably doesn't apply if you already got 50GB free out of them before.

One of Box's stronger features is its collaboration tools, and now right from within the app you can invite people to collaborate on your files. They also put in support for commenting on individual files too. Pretty nifty.

The UI also gets updated, and now makes use of the standard action bar. Another useful addition is the ability to batch multiple file uploads at once and the app will now support being moved to the SD card.

Box are definitely going big, and while Dropbox is preferred by a good chunk of the market -- free desktop sync helps -- 50GB for free is too good to turn away. Hit the download links below to help yourselves.

Dropbox experimental build updated, improved camera upload function

Dropbox's last experimental build for Android brought some sweet new features, and free storage for anyone testing it out. Today they've gone and updated the build fixing some issues previously found, adding a couple of handy improvements in the process.

Overall performance is improved in the camera upload feature. We also get bug fixes for issues where not all your photos and videos would be uploaded. Personally, I would appreciate the bug fixing that gave me 500MB of free storage, then took it away again -- hopefully I'm an isolated case.

In any case, a useful feature that has been added is camera upload numbering. Photos taken in quick succession now get numbered properly and don't overwrite each other when uploading to your Dropbox account.

As ever, this is an experimental build folks, so treat it with a degree of caution and shout out in their forums if you find any bugs. You can download a copy for yourself at the source link below.

Privacy policies not exactly a new idea for Android apps

So Amazon, Apple, Google, HP, Microsoft and RIM have all decided to hold hands and form a circle around the California attorney general and agreed to privacy principles designed to bring the industry in line with a California law" that requires apps to have privacy policies. Follow all that?

It's privacy principles that the companies have all agreed to, as well as the need to conspicuously display them in the app somewhere. And chances are you'll see them all roll out some guidelines to developers in the coming months, rather than leaving the devs to come up with them on their own.

Privacy policies aren't exactly a new thing for Android apps. Go all the way back to an Aug. 4, 2010 blog post from Nick Kralevich of the Android Security Team titled "Best Practices for Handing Android User Data." What's the No. 1 tip he had for developers?

Maintain a privacy policy.

The other nine suggestions really should be mandatory as well, including minimizing the permissions needed, giving users a choice regarding data collection, and using encryption. Common sense stuff. But it's wild world out there, no? Not every app has a conspicuous privacy policy -- that goes from Google to Android Central to, well, far more applications than we'd like to see. (You can find our site policies at the very bottom of this page.)

The proprietors of the major app stores coming together for a common set of privacy policies as well how to best present those policies to the us, the users is a good thing. A very good thing. Now we just need to see better implementation.

Google Books app update sneaks into the Market

While it may not be the most popular application among the Android faithful, Google Books is still a pretty solid e-reading app. A small update has sneaked out into the Market today, although at present it doesn't seem to be showing up in your my apps -- kind of like how YouTube went un-noticed.

The version numbers vary across devices, but has been bumped on the Gingerbread and below version, and the Honeycomb and above versions. What's confusing is to exactly what this update is for.

The changelog on the Honeycomb upwards version -- and indeed the web market -- touts accessibility support/TTS, ability to remove a downloaded book from your device (pretty sure we already could?) and improved stability.

Over in the Gingerbread and below camp, the changelog reads very differently. Here we get fixes for download error messages. In both cases the version numbers are bumped only very slightly, so we'll go out on a limb and say its a bug fix update. Either way, you'll find download links after the break.

Guitar Pro now available on the Android Market

If you're a guitar player, then chances are you're already making use of your Android device in some way to help you with your music. Be it as an instant guitar tuner, to downloading tabs or even recording quick little jam sessions here and there - now you can expand on that usage with the release of Guitar Pro Tab Player to the Android market. This a mobile version of the Guitar Pro tab editing program available for Android devices 2.2 and up, and it's pretty feature packed:

Now, you can view, hear, and learn guitar, bass, or drum scores wherever you go and even share your files with others if you wish. The app is available in the Android Market right now as a paid app, you'll find the download past the break. Maybe you can get as good as this guy?

Google Docs app updated with rich text options, collaborative editing

The Google Docs app for Android has received a substantial update today, adding some significant new features which to bring the phone and tablet app in line with the full desktop version.

First up is collaborative editing, which allows multiple people to work on the same document in real time -- this has long been possible on the desktop, but has been lacking in the mobile app. And it's also possible to set document permissions and invite others in your address book to work on a document alongside you.

In addition, rich text controls are included for documents, and pinch-to-zoom now fully functional too, making possible to manipulate text, undo and redo just like in the desktop version. Unfortunately these new features only work in documents, not spreadsheets, but regardless, it's a big step forward for the mobile version of Docs.

We've got Android Market links, and an official introductory video, after the jump.

Android App Review: NBA All-Star Live Wallpaper

If you're a fan of the NBA and live wallpapers, you'll want to check out the NBA All-Star Live Wallpaper app, which enables you to customize your background with your favorite NBA team.

The app is what we call freemium, which means that it is free to download the initial app, but you'll have to pay up for each team you decide to download from then on. Each team's live wallpaper is $1.99 with an in-app purchase, or you could buy every team for a flat fee of $4.99. You can also purchase team ringtones, but they come with the $4.99 package.

Once the app is installed, you'll need to go to the wallpapers gallery to find the NBA options. Once you click on it, you'll be able to customize:

Ringtone (you'll also be able to access team ringtones if you purchase those)

Once the wallpaper is set, you'll see the basketballs that you've chosen bouncing around. Tapping one of them will make it bounce and tilting your phone will move them, all the while seeing your favorite team's logo in the middle of the screen. The wallpapers are all nicely designed and they're perfect for NBA fans who want to show off their fandom all of the time.

As I mentioned above, the initial download is free from the Android Market. We've got links after the break as well as more screenshots.

The Simpsons are (eventually) coming!

The Simpsons are coming! EA announced today that it is hard at work on a new premium title its calling "The Simpsons: Tapped Out." It'll be available on iOS in the coming weeks, and on Android "a few months" after that (doh!), though EA says that it is working on beginning to release titles across multiple platforms simultaneously. The iOS version will be free to download and play, as will the Android version will likely be, though EA is hoping to make some scratch through in-app purchases that will help you conquer the game faster and more efficiently. EA is hoping the "freemium" model will attract both users who don't want a free game, and those who are willing to make a number of smaller, in-app purchases.

EA has made it clear that it's putting its collective heart and soul into the title, which will feature dialogue and gameplay with input from the show's writers and cast. "Tapped Out" revolves around Springfield rebuilding itself after Homer gets the town into some hot water.

While you're patiently waiting for the game to hit the Android Market, we promise to keep our eyes and ears peeled for any Simpsons-related news. Or just the Simpsons on TV.

Twitter for Android gets some ICS love, support for the Kindle Fire, Nook Color and Nook Tablet

In case you've been wondering when exactly Twitter would get around to optimizing Twitter for Android on ICS devices, we now have an answer for you -- and that is right now! In fact, as noted on the Twitter blog earlier the optimized version of Twitter for Android is now available in the Android Market.

In addition to the optimizations, Twitter has also announced support immediately for the Amazon Kindle Fire as well as forth coming support for the Barnes & Noble NOOK Color and NOOK Tablet. Also of import is that you can swipe a tweet to reply, retweet, share or view profiles.

What's coming at Mobile World Congress? Quite a lot, actually

Mobile World Congress, one of the biggest mobile tech shows in the world, begins in just a few short days in Barcelona, Spain. We’ll be there to bring you all the Android-related developments from the show floor, starting this Sunday, Feb. 26.

As is always the case with such a big show, early details of product announcements often leak out ahead of time, and some companies even take to making announcements a few days before the event begins. We’ve covered all kinds of crazy developments leading up to this year’s MWC, and today we’ve condensed everything we’re expecting to see into one handy article.

Read on for a complete picture of what the major Android players are likely to be bringing to Barcelona. (And check back in case of updates!)

Nuance's Dragon Go! updated with Expedia integration

Nuance today announced that its popular Dragon Go! app for Android and iOS has been updated with direct access to travel website Expedia. Using the app's voice commands, users can now look up hotel reservations, current airfare, or user reviews for the thousands of listings available through Expedia. The travel site joins Dragon Go's already respectable content ecosystem, which includes Facebook, Fandango, Pandora, Spotify, and more.

For those unfamiliar, Dragon Go! is Android's anti-Siri, using third-party content in its search results. Users can throw a number of different commands at the software, and Dragon Go! will use results from the content partner it deems fit. And for those embarrassed by telling their phones to "look up hotel prices in New York for this weekend" Dragon Go! also responds quite nicely to text input.

If you're still skeptical, you can check out Nuance's other Android apps, including Dragon Dictation and Swype, for an idea as to how the company's software works. If you've already got Dragon Go! installed on your device, watch out for notification about the recent addition of Expedia. You can hit the link below to grab Dragon Go! from the Android Market, unless of course you're running Ice Cream Sandwich, in which case you'll have to wait, as compatability is still listed as "coming soon."

EDIT: Ice Cream Sandwich users do have a way to snag their own working copy of Dragon Go!, though stopping by the Android Market won't help: you'll need to grab the latest Swype Beta, which comes with an integrated, Android 4.0-ready Dragon Go! build.

Finally, a second official Cristiano Ronaldo app for Android!

If last year's Cristiano Ronaldo Freestyle app wasn't enough for you, you can now download another official Ronaldo app, this time from developer Mobile Roadie. The official Cristiano Ronaldo app for Android gives fans access to up to the minute news and "never before seen" photos of the Real Madrid striker -- including pictures of him standing in front of a green screen, and another of kicking a football (as you do).

There's also a "fan wall", where Ronaldo enthusiasts can pour out gushing tributes to the star player (we counted two at the time of writing). And you can also earn points and compete for signed Ronaldo merchandise, if that's your thing.

If you're crazy enough to want not one, but two officially-sanctioned Cristiano Ronaldo apps on your phone, then we can only hope you're still sufficiently lucid to use the QR code and Market link after the break.

See, the third-party Android keyboard I use loves to mock me by suggesting "Collins" every time I type my name. Phil Collins. Har. Only, the PlayBook does that, too. Odd. Either somebody has a strange sense of humor (and/or is stalking me), or perhaps that keyboard has leapt from Android to BlackBerry.

Portions of this page are modifications based on work created and shared by the Android Open Source Project
and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 2.5 Attribution License. AndroidCentral is an independent site
that is not affiliated with or endorsed by Google.